It's about the time of year when a small but noticeable population of Santa Cruz starts showing the symptoms of irritability, a particular kind of moodiness and very nearly depression. The fog rolls in and the waves roll out, leaving our surfing brethren without the pulse that keeps them sane and happy.

Except, that is, for a few dogged surf seekers who have learned to take advantage of the one constant we do have during the summer: wind!

Just 17 miles up the coast, Waddell Beach dishes up some of the most notoriously thrilling conditions for kitesurfing in the world. Drive by on any windy weekend and you'll be treated to a shifting rainbow of kites dancing over the shoreline.

"There aren't many places with both a perfect side shore wind and waves setting up like Waddell," said Lydia Snider, one of Waddell Beach's kitesurfing regulars.

Contrary to appearances, though, it's not just a sport for the big and strong, and taking it up may even change your life.

At 5-foot-3 and 115 pounds, the 45-year-old Snider may not be the stereotype of what you would expect of an avid Waddell kitesurfer. It's not something she necessarily saw herself doing either, having grown up in Washington D.C. where her most athletic feat was maintaining balance on the subway while wearing high heels. She also had more than a healthy fear of waves after a life threatening scuba incident.

"It's crazy that I even thought to try it. But when one finds passion, reason goes out the window and obstacles become invisible," she said.

The first time Snider rounded the bend of Highway 1 after moving to Santa Cruz and took in the "carnival of kites" at Waddell Beach, she knew it was her calling.

"It's not about arm strength," Snider said. "The harness takes most of the weight and at the end of the day, it's my legs that give out more than anything else."

It's also not about going it alone. This sport has a steep learning curve and, without proper instruction, a beginner can endanger life and limb of themselves and others.

Poul Schiebel, co-owner and founder of Caution Kites in Santa Cruz, says taking lessons from a certified instructor such as SC Kitesurfing is a must.

"Learning to kitesurf in the waves at Waddell does have its challenges. But with its steady winds and big beaches, it is more user friendly than one may think," he said.

Schiebel should know. Caution Kites was the first kitesurf company in the U.S. and has seen tremendous growth of the sport, including the stories of "kite-mares" — horror stories of kiting accidents and injuries.

Snider started beach sessions with an instructor flying a small training kite before she ever hit the water. Once she did, she began at the bottom of another learning curve. By this time, she was getting to know the tightly knit kitesurfing community, and they designated a mellower section of the shore "Lydia-land" for her to practice and be out of their way.

The ocean knows no ego, though, and Snider said everyone has taken their turn on the beach in tears after getting worked over by the power of waves and wind. With nature acting as the great equalizer, camaraderie builds between Waddell kiters.

Ten years have passed since Snider first set hands on a kite, and the experience has changed her life. The power to face her fear of waves translated into the power to face real life fears. On the verge of being hospitalized from work stress, she left her job as a special education teacher and struck out as an entrepreneur in social media strategy.

"My kite lines became my life lines. When I found myself fearing the transition into my new career, I went back to the feeling of standing on the beach with my board and kite in hand and feeling scared. I knew that if I could learn to kitesurf, I could do anything," Snider said.

Snider greets newcomers warmly, especially women, who still make up only a tiny percentage of the kitesurfers at Waddell.

"Generally people are friendly; you just need to be respectful. When I ride a new place I talk to the locals to learn the etiquette. A lot of people don't understand that each kiting location has its own rules and patterns of wave rotation," Snider said.

Santa Cruz is filled with talented kitesurfers such as Josh Nehf, Blake Harrington, Gary Strachan and Josh Mulcoy. Schiebel says surfers have become the largest group of crossover athletes in the sport and notes that it's easier for people who come from a background of board sports like surfing, skateboarding or snowboarding.

Snider convinced Santa Cruzan Jenny Campbell that she should come to Waddell instead of driving to the Bay Area, where she had been kiting on flat water.

"Lydia became my mentor and took me under her wing, not so much for coaching me in kiting, but for support, encouragement and teaching me the ropes at Waddell and introducing me to everyone," Campbell said.

Campbell also found kitesurfing while undergoing life changes and found it to be the only thing out of a myriad of new activities she was trying that lifted her spirits. In just three years of kiting she has traveled to Brazil, Philippines, Mexico and Africa with her kite and joined the global community that rides the wind.

"There is so much to think about when you're learning to kitesurfing: the wind, your kite, the board, the waves and other riders," Campbell said. "It's an amazing thing when it finally all comes together and you start gliding over the water."